It’s an age-old question. The intention is always to go into a window and be stronger on the other side. However, defining stronger can be a challenge.
The obvious perception is that in terms of numbers and cover, you want the same as you went in. Then, you want the players you have in the squad to be as good as the ones that went, or fill the required roles better than those who left. Did we do that? That is the first question.
Then you have to look at the market forces. While that might be the aim, if you lose a lot of loan players, replacing them can be harder, so being stronger might not be possible, but it could still be a good window. Remember Tyreece John-Jules and Tyler Walker? If you know you’re going to lose a player, any replacement arguably makes you stronger, as if you sit on your hands, you won’t have anyone.
Luckily, Lincoln City in 2026 are not reliant on loans. We lost all of our loan players, and the form just kept on. We’re not looking to Manchester United, Arsenal or Manchester City and hoping for a game changer anymore. Our loan players fill the gaps and cracks around permanent signings; they add depth.
So, are we stronger or not? Here are our ins and outs, and then my overall analysis of the situation.
In
Josh Honohan, Deji Elerewe, Alfie Lloyd (loan), Ryan Oné (loan), Kamil Conteh (loan)
Out
Lewis Montsma, Gbolahan Okewoye, Francis Okoronkwo (loan), Justin Obikwu (loan), Fin Barbrook (loan), Dexter Lembikisa (loan)
The facts
We are slightly lighter on numbers, but given that Gbolahan Okewoye had been on loan at Grimsby Borough, I think it is safe to say that we feel like we’re in the same position in terms of bodies. That’s pretty big, because that’s actually a step forward; before Christmas, Ben House and Tom Bayliss were both out and are now back, so we have far more to choose from than we did on New Year’s Day against Huddersfield Town. That doesn’t tell the whole story, but the very basic numbers look good.
The next comparison is pound-for-pound. The players we lost, whatever their status, played a certain position, and that position needs covering. Did we do that? This really is the rawest comparable, as we brought in players with different profiles, but at a base level one full back left, Lembikisa, and one came in, Honohan. The same applies with central defenders (Montsma and Elerewe) and central midfielders (Barbrook and Conteh). Obikwu was more of an out-and-out nine, whereas his replacement, Alfie Lloyd, is anywhere across that front three, which is the same with Okoronkwo and Oné. Pound for pound, there is no change.
Are the players who came in an upgrade? That’s the final taste test, and being really honest, one we can’t fully answer. Lloyd and Oné may well be an upgrade on Okoronkwo and Obikwu (easier to spell), but we won’t know that for 17 matches. One would imagine with Barbrook and Conteh, we won’t ever know, given that we barely saw Fin and we’re even less likely to see Kamil.
The big changes are at the back, aren’t they? Dexter Lembikisa was a stand-in, a player we snapped up late on for cover, but Josh Honohan is one for the future, a six-figure capture with a high ceiling. I think we can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that we’re stronger for that move.
Then there is Lewis and Deji. I won’t be saying that is an upgrade, it would be disrespectful to Lewis, and I haven’t seen Deji play. Lewis was a great player at one point for this club, but once I saw him muscled off the ball by Udoh in our game against Salford City, leading to their leveller, I knew he was done for us. Therefore, his future was not going to be at the Bank, meaning any player we do bring in, who we intend to play, should be an upgrade. All the whispers I hear around the big man are that he has Championship quality, but the proof was in the pudding.
Conclusion
Purely given Honohan and Elerewe, we can say we have come out stronger than we went in. There are many other nuances; we are one stronger in terms of permanent players, which makes us stronger, and not to forget the contracts we tied up, making us stronger in terms of threats at the end of the season.
Jez said recently the aim is to come out of a window stronger than we went in, and in 2025/26, while specifics will play out over time, I think we can say that it was mission accomplished. Now, onto the bigger mission of the next 17 games, and a history-defining run that could forever change the perception of Lincoln City for modern-day fans.